Japanese Academy Award / Best Director

Since it was first awarded in 1978, the Japanese Academy Awards have honored the best directors in the Best Director category ( Japanese 最 優秀 監督 賞 , sai yūshū kantoku shō ).

The films are listed according to the year in which they were awarded.

Award winners and nominees

1978-1979

year	Award winners	for the movie	Nominations
1978	Yōji Yamada	Shiawase no kiiroi hankachi	Kon Ichikawa for Akuma no temari-uta and Gokumon-to Kaneto Shindō for From the Life of Chikuzan Shirō Moritani for Hakkodasan Masahiro Shinoda for Hanare goze Orin
1979	Yoshitarō Nomura	Kichiku	Nagisa Ōshima for In the realm of passion Noboru Tanaka for Hitozuma shudan boko chishi jiken and Pink salon: koshoku gonin onna Toshiya Fujita for Kaerazaru hibi and Kiken na kankei Yōji Yamada for Otoko wa tsurai yo: Uwasa no torajiro and Otoko wa tsajiro: Torajiro wago wa tsur where yuku

1980-1989

year	Award winners	for the movie	Nominations
1980	Shōhei Imamura	Fukushu suruwa weriari	Satsuo Yamamoto for Ah! Nomugi toge Tatsumi Kumashiro for Akai kami no onna Keisuke Kinoshita for Shodo satsujin: Musuko yo Kazuhiko Hasegawa for Taiyo o nusunda otoko
1981	Seijun Suzuki	Gypsy ways	Toshio Masuda for 203 kochi Kinji Fukasaku for Fukkatsu no hi Yoshitarō Nomura for Furueru shita and Warui yatsura Yōji Yamada for A distant cry in spring and Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haibisukasu no hana
1982	Kohei Oguri	Dirty river	Shōhei Imamura for The Thief and the Geisha Yasuo Furuhata for Eki Station and Shikake-nin Baian Kichitaro Negishi for Enrai and Kurutta kajitsu Kei Kumai for Nihon no atsui hibi bōsatsu: Shimoyama jiken
1983	Kinji Fukasaku	Dōtonborigawa and The Death Stairs	Yoshitarō Nomura for Suspicion Hideo Gosha for Kirūin Hanako no shōgai Mitsuo Yanagimachi for Saraba itoshiki daichi Shunya Ito for Yūkai hōdō
1984	Hideo Gosha	Yokiro	Yoshimitsu Morita for Kazoku gēmu Nagisa Ōshima for Furyo - Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence Shōhei Imamura for The Ballad of Narayama Kon Ichikawa for The Daughters of the House of Makioka
1985	Juzo Itami	Funeral ceremony	Makoto Wada for Mahjong hōrōki Kon Ichikawa for Ohan Masahiro Shinoda for MacArthur's children Kinji Fukasaku for Shanhai bansukingu and The Legend of the Eight Samurai
1986	Shinichirō Sawai	Soushun monogatari and W no higeki	Kon Ichikawa for Biruma no tatekoto Shunya Ito for Hana ichimonme Hideo Gosha for Kai and Usugesho Yoshimitsu Morita for Sorekara
1987	Kinji Fukasaku	Kataku no hito	Yōji Yamada for The Girl in the Atelier Yoshishige Yoshida for Ningen no yakusoku Kon Ichikawa for Rokumeikan Junya Sato for Lost in the Snow
1988	Juzo Itami	The tax investigator	Kazuki Omori for Koisuru onnatachi and Totto Channel Kon Ichikawa for The Legend of the Moon Princess and Eiga joyu Kosaku Yamashita for Yogisha Hideo Gosha for Yoshiwara enjo
1989	Junya Sato	The blood of the silk road	Yōji Yamada for hope and pain and Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro monogatari Kinji Fukasaku for Hana no ran Nobuhiko Obayashi for Ijintachi tono natsu and Nihon junjo-den okashina futari Juzo Itami for Marusa no onna II

1990-1999

year	Award winners	for the movie	Nominations
1990	Shōhei Imamura	Black Rain	Yasuo Furuhata for A un , Gokudo no onna-tachi: San-daime ane and Shōgun Iemitsu no ranshin - Gekitotsu Hiroshi Teshigahara for Rikyu, the tea master Kei Kumai for The Death of a Tea Master Toshio Masuda for Shaso
1991	Masahiro Shinoda	Shonen jidai	Juzo Itami for A-ge-man Shun Nakahara for Sakura no sono Seijirō Kōyama for Shiroi te Akira Kurosawa for Akira Kurosawa's dreams
1992	Kihachi Okamoto	Daiyukai	Takeshi Kitano for The Sea Was Calm Akira Kurosawa for Rhapsodie in August Naoto Takenaka for Muno no hito Yōji Yamada for Love doesn't need words
1993	Masayuki Suo	Fancy sumo	Yōichi Higashi for Hashi no nai Kawa Kinji Fukasaku for The Action Massacre Nobuhiko Obayashi for Kanojo ga kekkon shinai riyu and Seishun dendekedekedeke Juzo Itami for The Art of Blackmail
1994	Yōji Yamada	Gakko and Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no endan	Yōjirō Takita for Nemuranai machi - Shinjuku same and Bokura wa minna ikiteiru Zenzo Matsuyama for Niji no hashi Yoichi Sai for Where is the moon? Shinichirō Sawai for Waga ai no uta - Taki Rentaro monogatari
1995	Kinji Fukasaku	Chushingura gaiden yotsuya kaidan	Naoto Takenaka for 119 Takayoshi Watanabe for Izakaya yurei Kazuyoshi Okuyama for Rampo Kon Ichikawa for 47 Ronin
1996	Kaneto Shindo	Gogo no Yuigon-jo	Kei Kumai for Fukai kawa Masanobu Deme for Kike wadatsumi no koe Last Friends Yasuo Furuhata for Kura Masahiro Shinoda for Sharaku
1997	Masayuki Suo	Shall we dance?	Yōji Yamada for Gakko II Kōhei Oguri for Nemuru otoko Juzo Itami for Sūpah no onna Kazuki Omori for Waga kokoro no ginga tetsudo: Miyazawa Kenji monogatari
1998	Shōhei Imamura	The eel	Koki Mitani for Radio-Zeit Yoshimitsu Morita for Shitsurakuen Naoto Takenaka for Tokyo biyori Takao Okawara for Yukai
1999	Hideyuki Hirayama	Ai o kou hito	Yōji Yamada for Gakko III Takeshi Kitano for Hana-Bi Shōhei Imamura for Dr. Akagi Katsuyuki Motohiro for Odoru daisosasen

2000-2009

year	Award winners	for the movie	Nominations
2000	Yasuo Furuhata	Poppoya	Masahiro Shinoda for Fukuro no shiro Nagisa Ōshima for Tabu Masato Harada for Kin'yū fushoku rettō: Jubaku Kinji Fukasaku for Omocha
2001	Junji Sakamoto	Kao	Yōji Yamada for 15-Sai: Gakko IV Takashi Koizumi for After the Rain Kinji Fukasaku for Battle Royale Setsurou Wakamatsu for Whiteout
2002	Isao Yukisada	Go	Yasuo Furuhata for Hotaru Koki Mitani for Minna no ie Yōjirō Takita for Onmyōji Shinobu Yaguchi for waterboys
2003	Yōji Yamada	Samurai at dusk	Takashi Koizumi for Amida-do dayori Hideyuki Hirayama for Out Fumihiko Sori for Ping Pong Masato Harada for Totsunyūseyo! Asama sansō jiken
2004	Yoshimitsu Morita	Ashura no gotoku	Yōjirō Takita for Mibu gishi the Katsuyuki Motohiro for Odoru daisosasen 2 Masahiro Shinoda for Spy Sorge Akihiko Shiota for Yomigaeri
2005	Yoichi Sai	Blood & Bones	Kiyoshi Sasabe for Hanochi Yōji Yamada for The Hidden Blade Isao Yukisada for Sekai no chūshin de, ai o sakebu Shinobu Yaguchi for Swing Girls
2006	Takashi Yamazaki	Always san-chōme no yūhi	Kazuyuki Izutsu for Pacchigi! Mitsuo Kurotsuchi for Semishigure Junji Sakamoto for Bōkoku no īgisu Isao Yukisada for Kita no zeronen
2007	Lee Sang-il	Hula girls	Junya Sato for Otoko-tachi no yamato Tetsuya Nakashima for Kiraware Matsuko no Isshō Koki Mitani for The Uchōten Hotel Yōji Yamada for Love and Honor - Bushi no ichibun
2008	Jōji Matsuoka	Tōkyo Tower - Okan to boku to, tokidoki, oton	Takashi Yamazaki for Always zoku san-chōme no yūhi Isshin Inudō for Bizan Yūichi Satō for Kisaragi Masayuki Suo for Soredemo boku wa yattenai
2009	Yōjirō Takita	Nokan - The Art of Fading Out	Yôji Yamada for Kâbê Masato Harada for Kuraimâzu hai Tetsuya Nakashima for Pako to mahô no ehon Kôki Mitani for Za majikku awâ

2010–2012

year	Award winners	for the movie	Nominations
2010	Daisaku Kimura	Tsurugidake: Ten no ki	Miwa Nishikawa for Dear Doctor Setsurô Wakamatsu for Shizumanu taiyô Kichitaro Negishi for Viyon no tsuma Isshin Inudô for Zero no shôten
2011	Tetsuya Nakashima	Confessions	Izuru Narushima for Kokô no mesu Yōji Yamada for Otôto Sang-il Lee for Akunin Takashi Miike for 13 Assassins
2012	Izuru Narushima	Yôkame no semi	Junji Sakamoto for Ooshikamura soudouki Kôki Mitani for Sutekina kanashibari Kaneto Shindô for Ichimai no hagaki Shigemichi Sugita for Saigo no chuushingura
2013	Daihachi Yoshida	Kirishima, bukatsu yamerutteyo	Isshin Inudō and Shinji Higuchi for Nobō no Shiro Junji Sakamoto for Kita no Kanaria Tachi Masato Harada for Waga Haha no Ki Yasuo Furuhata for Anata e
2014	Yūya Ishii	Fune o Amu	Hirokazu Koreeda for Like Father, Like Son Kazuya Shiraishi for Kyōaku Kōki Mitani for Kiyosu Kaigi Yōji Yamada for Tokyo Kazoku
2015	Takashi Yamazaki	Eternal Zero - Flight of No Return	Takashi Koizumi for Higurashi no Ki Izuru Narushima for Fushigi na Misaki no Monogatari Katsuhide Motoki for Chōkōsoku! Sankin Koutai Daihachi Yoshida for Kami no Tsuki
2016	Hirokazu Koreeda	Our little sister	Hitoshi Ōne for Bakuman. Masaharu Take for Hyakuen no Koi Mitsutoshi Tanaka for Kainan 1890 Masato Harada for Nihon no Ichiban Nagai Hi